It was an eventful week in the Big East. Syracuse picked up its first win with Greg Paulus at quarterback in dramatic fashion, while another quarterback, South Florida’s Matt Grothe, was lost for the season with a knee injury. Here’s a rundown on what happened in the conference over the weekend.

Game of the Week: Syracuse 37, Northwestern 34

Ryan Lichtenstein’s 41-yard field goal as time expired allowed Syracuse to get its first win under new head coach Doug Marrone. Paulus, the former Duke point guard who famously chose to return home to Central New York to lead the Orange last spring, was outstanding. He went 24-for-35 for 346 yards and two touchdowns, and although he made his mistakes, including throwing an interception in the end zone late in the first half, the bottom line is he got the job done and brought Syracuse a much-needed win.

The Bearcats just keep on winning under coach Brian Kelly, as they went out to the West Coast and knocked off Oregon State, 28-18. For those that think lightly of that achievement, USC went into Corvallis and came away with a loss last season.

Now 3-0 with impressive wins over both the Beavers and Rutgers, Cincinnati has established itself as the clear front-runner for the conference title again this season, and has kept alive its hopes for a shot at a potential BCS title game appearance if it can run the table.

Play of the Week: Interception return for a touchdown by Auburn’s Craig Stevens

Stevens grabbed Auburn’s fourth pick of West Virginia’s Jarrett Brown literally gave away the Mountaineers’ chances of winning a big non-conference game. Brown really cost West Virginia with four interceptions, and despite that the Mountaineers still held the lead entering the fourth quarter. It looks like West Virginia’s hopes will depend heavily on how well he performs from week-to-week.

Player of the Week: Mike Williams, Syracuse WR

Williams, who missed all of last season because of an academic suspension, caught 11 passes for 209 yards and two touchdowns, including a 13-yarder to tie the game in the fourth quarter. The Buffalo native accounted for nearly half of Paulus’ completions and more than half of his yardage, and the combo should only improve as the season moves forward.

Goat of the Week: Jim Leavitt, South Florida head coach

Leavitt’s team may have won 59-0, but it saw its chances at a BCS bowl all but end when Grothe suffered a season-ending knee injury in the second quarter of a game that a team like the Bulls has no business playing.

If there ever was proof as to why these teams should stop playing teams that offer them no resistance, this is it. It would have been one thing if Grothe was injured playing against Florida State or West Virginia, for example. But getting injured in the second quarter of a game you’re already winning 21-0? Why bother playing the game?

Conference Power Rankings:

1. Cincinnati – Tony Pike and Co. are ready for Big East play after beating the Beavers.
2. Pittsburgh – The Panthers get the job done against a game Navy team.
3. Connecticut – Nearly were my Team of the Week after traveling to Baylor and winning without starting quarterback Zach Frazer.
4. West Virginia – The Mountaineers were game opponents in Jordan-Hare Stadium, but Brown’s interceptions cost them a shot at the win.
5. Rutgers – After getting destroyed by Cincinnati, I’m still waiting to see how Rutgers handles a real opponent – and, more importantly, how freshman quarterback Tom Savage handles one.
6. South Florida – Grothe’s injury takes the Bulls from a chance at a BCS title to potentially being lucky to avoid the Big East’s basement.
7. Syracuse – If Paulus to Williams continues to improve, the Orange could be a tough out in conference play – especially in the Carrier Dome.
8. Louisville – Good effort by the Cardinals, but they still came up short against Kentucky. Steve Kragthorpe’s job has to be in jeopardy if he ends the season here, right?